Egberg, Nils

The Church and the threatening Climate Change : A Text Analytical Study of six Church documents on Environmental and Climate Change (English)

Abstract [en]

A text analytical study has been performed using an abductive approach. The initial study was inductive and followed by a deductive part. Six different documents were studied representing protestant Churches, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church (Patriarchate of Constantinople)2.The initial inductive part showed that the Church in its handling of the climate crises ought to be able to help people to a better understanding of the climate changes as well as to an understanding of the Churches´ theological view on the relationships between God and man, man to man and God to Creation.The deductive part of the study the documents showed a picture of a panentheistic, good and personal God. God was mainly referred to as a nonsexual entity. This part of the study also showed that all documents agree that the Church has a responsibility to ensure that moral values are respected when it comes to decision-making regarding actions against the climate changes. It is the task of the Church to channel the love of God to people and to the whole Creation.The climate changes have prompted the Churches to partly concentrate on their theology on creation and have caused a reevaluation of their positon in handling the new environmental situation. The major part of the documents gave a view on the theological reflection that the climate changes have forced upon the Churches.All documents regarded the threatening climate changes as a consequence of the human misuse of God’s Creation. Man has not fulfilled God’s expectations of man’s care for his Creation.Human beings are unique in God’s Creation, man is the image of God. In some respects human beings are God’s coworkers or even co-creators. But man has not managed to match God’s expectations, and has not cared for his Creation in the way he wanted. God is in a way mourning the situation that man has caused and what is threatening his Creation.The documents indicated that all Churches have a similar view on the human responsibility to try to restore balance in the Creation. Since their common view is that man, on God’s behalf, has the responsibility to care for and develop Creation, the Churches have the duty to work for a change of human lifestyle in a way that is compatible with a sustainable development.The documents indicated that the Church wants to be a forerunner in the change of lifestyle and also wants to work for a more just world order where those rich in resources should contribute the most to cover the costs for a worldwide handling of the climate crises and for the formation of a sustainable development.